


Puzzled

by florapaw



Series: Bus Route (in addition) [2]
Category: Watership Down - Richard Adams
Genre: (nillie's condition is just a way to explain her involvement in the cult), Cults, F/M, Nildro-hain has atrial fibrillation, Strawberry has an anxiety disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 04:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/florapaw/pseuds/florapaw
Summary: How Strawberry joined the cult that led to meeting the love of his life.





	Puzzled

**Author's Note:**

> as of today, 24/11/17, school ends in three weeks and ill work to update il and bus route :D

It was Strawberry’s first day of joining the Children of the Wire – a religion put together by his ex-neighbour Cowslip. He knew that it was ridiculous to leave his home and job in order to join the new religion, but even as an adult he had always been terrible at dealing with pressure.

_Cowslip knocked three times on Strawberry’s door. Strawberry opened it, fingers nervously tapping in beats of three on his door handle. Cowslip’s bright smiling face (as well as the less-smiling face of Iris) blocked his view of the outside world._

_“Strawberry! I’ve come to invite you to my religion,” Cowslip considered this, and then frowned. “Again.”_

_Strawberry took a sharp breath in and his tapping got faster. “Look Cowslip, I- I can’t, okay?”_

_Cowslip’s frown turned into a scowl. “Why can’t you?” He growled, fist making contact with the door frame._

_Iris gently put her hand on Cowslip’s arm as if to calm him. Strawberry winced and felt his heart pounding against his chest, eyes filling with tears and throat starting to constrict._

_“I can’t,” Strawberry took another deep breath to steady his oncoming panic attack. “Work, and- and rent…”_

_A heavy silence blanketed the group. Cowslip pulled his hand back to his chest, glaring at Strawberry. “I’ve got some great news. The Messenger has heard from the Gods that you need to come.”_

_Cowslip’s arm wrapped around Iris’ shoulders. The girl whimpered and tried to move, despite Cowslip’s grip. Strawberry’s wheezing breathing died down. He knew Cowslip was lying, but he nodded regardless. He didn’t need a repeat of that moment. “Give a few days to sort stuff out.”_

He dragged his huge suitcase through the gate lined with barbed wire and headed up to the expansive house where he could see Cowslip’s grinning face through the screen door. Strawberry’s fingers tightened on the handle.

Cowslip flung the door open with his arms wide open. “Strawberry! Good to see you!” He sang merrily. He stepped forward to hug Strawberry, but he flinched and stepped backwards. Cowslip scowled once again and snatched Strawberry’s bag from him. “Come on,” Cowslip snapped tersely. “I’ll show you to your room.”

As the two headed into the house, Strawberry was surprised by the lack of decoration. Sure, he could see a couch in the living room and a fridge in the kitchen, but most things were propped up by cardboard boxes.

(In hindsight, this should’ve been his first clue something was wrong.)

They ascended the stairs to the second floor with Iris trailing close by. Cowslip walked briskly until they reached a barren room with a mattress sitting on the floor, a tiny mirror by the pillow, and one chair sitting in the corner. Cowslip beamed. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Strawberry sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled his phone from his pocket. Cowslip cleared his throat and Iris jumped, hurrying to pull the phone from Strawberry’s hands. She gazed apologetically at him.

“Electronics are forbidden. The Messenger will dispose of this garbage.”

He wondered if Cowslip ever referred to Iris by her first name.

Strawberry nodded blankly as the two left the room and fell back onto his bed. He stared up at the roof until a gentle cough brought his attention back. There was a girl standing in the doorway, her long waves loosely sitting past her shoulders. She crossed her arms and averted her eyes.

“You’re new, right?”

He nodded and continued to stare. The girl stepped into the room with a ghost of a smile blossoming on her face. “There’s not a lot in the rooms, is there?”

Strawberry shook his head. The girl brushed her fringe from her eyes. “I’m Nildro-hain. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m Strawberry,” He responded. He liked the girl. Nildro-hain paused. “Want to see something cool?”

That ‘something cool’ ended up being a library. Nildro-hain smiled at the wonder sparkling in Strawberry’s eyes. “Cowslip keeps this room full. The High God likes knowledge.”

Strawberry faltered, and Nildro-hain picked up on it. She nudged his shoulder, politely ignoring the way he twisted himself further away. “Why are you here, Strawberry?”

“Cowslip told me to come,” His cheeks burnt at the pitifulness of the answer, heart beat audible in his ears.

_Oh God, she’s going to think I’m so stupid. She’s going to think I’m a piece of shit. She’s going to hate me. Look at her smug smile, she’s laughing at you, you idiot! She-_

Nildro-hain pushed her hair behind her ear. “I have this heart condition called atrial fibrillation. It means my heart doesn’t pump blood around my body as well as it should. When I was at my lowest – you know, hospitalised for chronic fatigue for like a week – Cowslip met me,” She curled her hair around her forefinger. “I don’t know – it felt nice to believe in the Gods he did. He spoke of them so nicely, like they actually cared about me.”

Strawberry rubbed his fingers together as Nildro-hain sighed and held her forehead. “I want to get out of here.”

“Why don’t you leave?”

Nildro-hain sighed again. “No one leaves, Strawberry.”

Strawberry felt his chest tighten. “Why did I do this?”

His vision began to swim, so he clenched onto the nearest chair. His trembling hands turned white from how hard he was gripping the furniture. Nildro-hain moved forward to touch him, obviously uncertain at what was happening. He moved himself out of the way, toppling over the chair. His heaving continued, so he slid down the wall and held his head in his hands. Nildro-hain sat a little way away, waiting. His shaking hands ran through his hair, ignoring the pained, heavy breathing that led Nildro-hain to shut the door so that they’d have some privacy.

Soon he calmed down. His hands covered his eyes and he sobbed. Nildro-hain sat a little closer.

“I shouldn’t have agreed. God, why am I so _stupid_ I’m a shitty adult I shouldn’t’ve _listened_ to him!” He sobbed. Nildro-hain smiled sadly, her hands touching his knee in an act of kindness.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

The two sat together in that darkened room in silence, ignoring the outside world as best they could.


End file.
